House Speaker Michael Madigan and his fellow Democrats pushed unsuccessfully for a three-year freeze on electric rates. The freeze fell six votes short of passing, but Madigan said he would try again in January.

Meanwhile, Democratic Senate President Emil Jones formed an unusual alliance with House Republican Leader Tom Cross to propose phasing in the rate increases over three years to ease the burden on consumers.

The ultimate fate of either idea remained unclear with just two days left in the Legislature's fall veto session. Unless lawmakers take action, electric prices will soar when a new rate-setting system takes effect Jan. 1.

Ameren customers could see increases of up to 55 percent. ComEd customers would pay about 22 percent more. The power companies warn they could face bankruptcy if they aren't allowed to pass higher costs along to customers next year.

The House voted 65-33 for the three-year rate freeze, but it needed 71 votes to pass. Madigan said the freeze proposal would come up again in January, when it would need only 60 votes to pass.

Opponents argued that freezing rates would harm the utilities, potentially requiring them to cut jobs and endangering the reliability of electrical service.